Liverpool have chosen not to risk captain Steven Gerrard but Joe Cole will start as Liverpool chase a place in the Europa League last 16 tonight.

KENNY DALGLISH waited 9,394 days to get the chance to manage Liverpool in Europe but after a turgid Europa League goalless draw against Sparta Prague, he must have wondered why he looked forward to it so much.

Mario Ancic, the 18-year-old proteg of last year’s Wimbledon’s men’s champion Goran Ivanisevic, lost the first set 6-4 against the Czech Republic’s Jan Vacek in the second round today.